I'm not sure about either of the cases, but the open crate is a disadvantage if it's rainy or windy. I have a larger machine and have not bought one for myself because of the price. I haven't found one that was less than $160. I used a carry on bag and luggage cart when I took my class. It was the only thing I could come up with using what I had on hand. If you are going local, a carry on bag might work for you. If you were traveling with it, you'd want to be sure to protect the machine with bubble wrap or other protective packaging.